Casa Mãe

Sleeping inside the wall

Casa Mãe is on Rua do Jogo da Bola, on the western edge of the walled old town of Lagos, on a former estate that had been abandoned. Today it is several buildings around a garden with a pool and a vegetable plot, each with its own style. From the door you walk down to the centre and the Slave Market, and in a few minutes by car you are at the Ponta da Piedade boardwalks.

The rooms

The 19th-century manor house, above the vegetable garden, has six suites of 27 to 53 m² for two people, with antique furniture brought from all over Portugal. The three cabins, of 35 m², and the family suites Padaria (two people) and Baluarte (four, 65 m²) have a private patio, hammock and outdoor shower. The Jogo da Bola building, the newest and with contemporary lines, has rooms of 24 to 30 m² with a terrace or balcony. A few metres away, Villa Paiol is a house for six adults with a rooftop pool.

Eating at home

The Orta restaurant cooks farm to table, with produce from its garden and from Algarve suppliers, and eggs from its two hundred hens. It serves lunch and small plates from 12:00 to 18:00 and dinner from 19:00 to 22:00; booking is advisable for dinner. Brunch, from 7:30 to 11:00, is for guests only from June to October.

Getting there

From Huelva it is about two hours on the A22, which has had no toll since 1 January 2025. Without a car, Lagos has a railway station at the end of the Algarve line, on the other side of the marina. Ask about parking when you book, because inside the wall space is scarce.